Odisha to ban 'gutka'

Bhubaneswar, Jan 1 (IANS) Odisha will impose a ban on the manufacture, sale and use of gutka (tobacco-laced areca nut pieces) products in the state, a minister said Tuesday.

State Health Minister Damodar Rout said the government is likely to issue a notification in this regard later this week.

"I appeal to people not to chew tobacco products because it is harmful for their health. It may cause diseases like cancer," Rout told reporters here.

The chewing tobacco products also known as smokeless tobacco have already been banned in several states in India, including in Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Mizoram, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar.

Besides, such bans are also in force in Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Sikkim.